Szentgerice, 8:10p.m.

The traditional bonfire is tonight. I learned from Sandor that the "officials" had some questions about this. They were thinking they would send security people to make sure there was no trouble. Sandor was perplexed by this. He talked them down and then complied with their request to write a letter taking responsibility and assuring them that there would be no trouble. Emery said it seemed like Ceauşescu was still causing some trouble from his grave.

You may know that Ceauşescu held power in Romania from 1965 until 1989, becoming President of Romania (he had been President of the State Council since 1967) in 1974 by conferring that title on himself. His security force, the Securitate, enforced strict regulations inhibiting civil liberties. He was especially hard on the ethnic Hungarians who found themselves under Romanian rule. (Because of the provisions of the 1920 Trianon Treaty.)

There is a story here in the village, I've heard it twice now, in somewhat different forms, about threats they faced during Ceauşescu's rule. A monument to commemorate the return of Szentgerice to Hungary stands right at the center of the village. (This state of being a part of Hungary only lasted for four years.) I heard that officials asked a teacher the nature of the monument (its inscription is in Hungarian) and she answered that it was a monument to the communist party youth pioneers. The monument stands to this day.

One of Ceauşescu's tricks was to move Romanians into cities with largely Hungarian populations in order to diminish their power. In the cities we have visited we have seen Ceauşescu style apartments--hastily built, simple in style. There was also a case when he built a damn in order to flood and destroy a Hungarian village. His abuses were drawing wider and wider criticism within Romania and from around the world. The revolution in 1989 was the result of growing dissatisfaction with Ceauşescu. One of his deputies, Iliescu, took advantage of the moment and claimed power. (It might be described as a coup.) Things have changed slowly. It was interesting especially to hear the perspective of the doctor in the village about how her work has changed over this period. She said before 1989 she knew she would always receive a paycheck.

Now, of course, yet more changes are coming as a result of Romania's entry into the European Union. Our partnership with Szentgerice has spanned a very interesting period in history. I am sure the coming years will continue to reveal a fascinating story.

On a lighter note, this afternoon we gathered at one of the houses and learned to make kurtos kalacs, a wonderful coal cooked donut. The slightly sweet dough is mixed in a big bowl and then cut into a long strip. The strip is wrapped around what looks like a large rolling pin with a handle. It can then be rolled in sugar. Then the dough is spun over the hot coals while water and oil are brushed on periodically. At the end it can also be rolled in crushed nuts. The end result is what some of the youth were calling a smokestack. It tears off in scrumptous strips, hot, sweet dough, crisp on the outside and wonderfully soft on the inside. Everyone had a good time helping and eating. It took all of the late afternoon.

So, today, I started (as I am sure all of us did) with a large breakfast. We had a large hot lunch at 2:00. We had donuts at 4:30. I had cookies and juice at 6:00 when I visited a family. And I have just finished another full meal. If you were expecting us to arrive home diminished in any way, you will be surprised!

Now to the bonfire.